Sony Online Entertainment announced today that its MMO DC Universe Online is going free-to-play as of the end of October. The title released back in January for the PlayStation 3 and PC, and players have logged on for a combined 42 million hours ever since its launch. Players can play as Superman, Batman, The Joker and many others from the DC Comics collection of superheroes and supervillains.

As with many free-to-play MMOs, there will be three tiers of membership. All new memberships will have access to current in-game content such as Gotham City, and Metropolis, plus existing raids and alerts. These members can create up to two characters, join leagues and have other kinds of access. They'll still be able to purchase in-game content such as extra character slots, new powers and so on.

Which brings us to the next level of membership. Premium members are those who spend or have spent at least $5 on in-game content. These memberships give you access to more character slots, more inventory room and extras. You also get a higher cash limit, and still have the option of purchasing more content.

Legendary members are those who opt to pay $14.99 a month subscription fee, which is its current price. These players, of course, have access to the most content. You'll get all the existing DLC, 15+ character slots, 80+ inventory slots, and the ability to form a league with no size restrictions, as well as other extras.

The free-to-play model of DC Universe Online (PC, PS3) will be implemented in late October for both platforms.